2024 NEBSA Symposium Speaker Bios (in alphabetical order) 

Alexa Balbo, Director, EHS Site Lead at Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. -Alexa is Director of EHS and Site Lead at Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. She has been in Environmental Health and Safety for fifteen years holding various positions within the biotechnology industry, specializing in research and large scale biopharmaceutical production.

Jennifer Bosselman, MS, CCHO, Senior Scientist at Environmental Health & Engineering (EH&E) - Jennifer brings more than 25 years’ experience in a wide range of life sciences settings from research, academic and clinical laboratories to biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturing. She provides Environmental Health & Engineering’s (EH&E) clients with senior technical expertise in environmental health and safety (EH&S) including biosafety, chemical safety, emergency response and radiation safety. Jennifer helps clients navigate the myriad of regulatory requirements that apply to their organization and alerts them to any compliance gaps, which allows her clients to stay focused on critical operations and research. Jennifer’s extensive experience brings sharp insights to help her clients avoid the pitfalls in the implementation and management of EH&S programs.

Tristan Burgess, BVSc PhD, Assistant Professor, VP Science and Education, Center for Wildlife Studies - Tristan is a wildlife veterinarian and epidemiologist working primarily in emerging pandemic threats and marine mammal health. His research investigates i) the ways in which health and disease can impact, or be used to measure, conservation outcomes; ii) drivers of spillover risk in emerging infectious disease and iii) the intersection of behavioral/foraging ecology and animal health. Tristan provides field veterinary services and consults on wildlife health management for state and federal governments as well as conservation NGOs and some of the finest zoos and aquaria in the US. He has handled and worked with a wide range of captive and free-ranging wildlife from lions and Tasmanian devils to penguins, pinnipeds and sea otters. Tristan is presently engaged with the USAID-funded STOP Spillover project as a surveillance coordinator and oversaw development of the project-wide biorisk management framework for STOP Spillover.

Joshua Canter, FBI - Special Agent Joshua Canter has been assigned to the Boston Division 17 years.  After working Counter-proliferation for 5 years SA Canter transferred to the Domestic Terrorism Squad to be the Hazardous Evidence Response Team Leader and one of the Boston Division’s full-time Assistant Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordinators.  SA Canter has worked numerous special events and WMD call-outs to include the Boston Marathon, 4th of July, the Presidential Inauguration, Super Bowls and the Vermont Ricin Case.  In November of 2018 SA Canter was appointed as the Boston Division’s Primary WMD Coordinator. SA Canter is a member of the Boston Division Regional Render Safe Team and has helped define best practices for the role of the WMD Coordinator within the RRST program.  SA Canter has the primary responsibility for responses to WMD incidents and acting as the case agent for several WMD cases. SA Canter is responsible for the planning for, staffing and oversight of the FBI WMD Special Event coverage. WMDC Canter is a member of the WMD Advisory Board to the Assistant Director and has helped to develop national policy for the FBI WMD Program.

Jaspreet Kaur Chana (MEng (Hons) MIChemE, TUV FSEng), Principal Consultant, ERM - Jaspreet is a Principal Technical Safety Consultant, principally with a background in Chemical and Process Engineering, having worked in high risk, high consequence industries for over 15 years including nuclear, biosafety and oil and gas. Her experience covers technical safety and loss prevention areas such as Process Hazard Analysis, Quantitative Analysis, Bow-Tie Analysis and Process Safety Management Systems. Specializing in Biosafety, Jaspreet’s expertise lies in the management and implementation of process safety in high containment facilities (BSL-3 and BSL-4 facilities), providing strategic advice and support around governance and integrating the process safety framework within existing biorisk management systems. Having worked with the majority of BSL-4 laboratories in the UK, Jaspreet is uniquely placed in understanding the complexities associated with handling high hazard dangerous pathogens and applying International Standards such as ANSI/ISA 61511 and Best Practice from the process sector through site-based and practical application. 

Shoolah Escott MS(CLS), MT(ASCP), Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Bioterrorism Preparedness Trainer - Shoolah is a medical laboratory scientist and has a master’s in medical laboratory science with a focus in clinical microbiology. She started her career working in clinical laboratories and was a Manager of Clinical Microbiology for 14 years. She then joined the National Laboratory Training Network under APHL in 1998 order to do training full-time. After 3 years she moved onto the CDC Training Advisor position and spent the next 14 years in the CDC Laboratory Training Branch developing, implementing, delivering, and presenting training programs for public health and clinical laboratorians. She semi-retired in 2018 after serving as the Biosafety Manager at the MA State Public Health Laboratory for 2.5 years. During the pandemic, she worked for Partners In Health as a COVID-19 Contact Tracer. Her main focus has been bioterrorism preparedness, biosafety and biosecurity via online as well as live hands-on workshops and seminars. She is currently an independent trainer, Lead of the ABSA International Public Health Outreach Shared Interest Group and a member of the ABSA Training Tools and Resources Committee.

Jonathan Gass, PhD, Assistant Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Tufts University School of Medicine - Jonathon is an Assistant Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at the Tufts University School of Medicine with a secondary appointment in the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health at the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Gass is an infectious disease epidemiologist, virus ecologist, and global health practitioner studying how zoonotic viruses emerge from animal reservoirs and spill over into human populations. Dr. Gass is the Deputy Director of the USAID Strategies to Prevent (STOP) Spillover consortium, which develops and evaluates interventions to reduce risks of zoonotic virus spillover in seven countries globally. Dr. Gass has a multi-disciplinary background which includes expertise in both human and animal population health, One Health, molecular virology and phylogenetics, global health research/intervention implementation, and capacity building in human/animal laboratory and public health sectors. He has worked for international humanitarian, non-governmental, and academic organizations to establish operational, investigative, and interventional research studies in multiple settings throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and the Arctic. Throughout the last several years, his research has focused on the inter-continental migration and transmission dynamics of avian influenza viruses among arctic wildlife and SARS-CoV-2 in settings where humans and animals share close contact. In addition, he has extensive experience designing and implementing monitoring and evaluation protocols for large-scale international epidemiological research and development programs. Dr. Gass is a Salzburg Global Fellow.

Eirini Iliaki, MD,  MPH, Infectious Diseases and Occupational Health Physician, Cambridge Health Alliance, Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School - Dr. Iliaki is a Board Certified Infectious Diseases Specialist and an Occupational Health expert with over 10 years of clinical experience at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School Affiliate. Her areas of interest include Infection Prevention, emerging infectious diseases, and workforce safety. Dr Iliaki has partnered with Occupational Health, to provide a comprehensive program  with life science companies, developing customized post exposure protocols for the optimal evaluation and management of biological incidents. Dr. Iliaki is certified in Travel Medicine from the International Society of Travel Medicine reflecting her interest in global health. Dr Iliaki holds an appointment on the Cambridge Biosafety Committee, Cambridge Massachusetts solidifying her commitment to biosafety.  Dr. Iliaki has been named one of Boston’s top doctors two years in a row (Castle Connolly 2022 and 2023).  She received her medical degree from the University of Crete and a Masters in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. She completed her internal medicine training and chief residency at Cambridge Health Alliance and her infectious disease fellowship at Boston Medical Center- Boston University. She is an instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, teaches HMS students and internal medicine residents and is a preceptor for the Harvard Occupational and Environmental Medicine residency.

Alex Kachou, CTO, Ventum Biotech - Alex Kachou serves as the Chief Technology Officer at Ventum Biotech, where he focuses on leading technology and engineering projects. Joining Ventum shortly after graduating from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Alex co-founded Ventum's US office, significantly expanding the company's reach. His vision and expertise led to the establishment of Ventum's engineering division, where he meticulously crafted the company's complete product range. Alex is dedicated to driving innovation and supporting the team's efforts to advance the biotech sector.

Michael Jordan, MD, MPH, Tufts University - Michael Jordan is the founding Executive Medical Director of Tufts University’s Occupational Health Services and Tufts University’s Infection Control Director. Dr. Jordan is an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine at Tufts Medical Center and is a Professor of Medicine and Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Jordan is an internationally recognized expert in HIV drug resistance (HIVDR), public health surveillance epidemiology, and antiretroviral therapy (ART) program evaluation and monitoring. Dr. Jordan is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts, numerous WHO publications and scientific abstracts.

Mike McCarthy, RBP (ABSA), CHMM,  Vertex Pharmaceuticals - Mike McCarthy is the biological safety officer for Vertex Pharmaceuticals, located in Boston MA.  The Vertex biosafety program encompasses R&D for small molecules, cell and gene therapies, and process development for viral vector manufacturing and stem cell differentiation.  Mike is the chair for the Vertex Institutional Biosafety Committee and is a voting member of the IACUC.  Mike is also active in other biosafety groups including being a member of the Scientific Program Committee for ABSA and an active member of the pharmaceutical biosafety group.  

Ted Myatt, ScD, is Associate Vice President for Research Integrity at Tufts University.  Prior to moving to Tufts, Ted was at the  University of Rhode Island , where he led the Office of Sponsored Projects, the Office of Research Integrity, and the Comparative Biology Resource Center.  Before joining URI, Ted led the life science practice for the consulting firm, Environmental Health and Engineering, Inc. (EH&E). Ted also serves as an IBC member at several local academic institutions. He received a Bachelor’s of Science in microbiology at the University of Illinois, a Master’s of Environmental Management at Duke University, and a Doctorate of Science at the Harvard School of Public Health.  Ted has served as NEBSA President since 2020.

Heidi Page, MS, RBP (ABSA), Director, Consulting Services, Sabai -Heidi has extensive experience in, and passion for,  the ‘grey zone’; intertwining regulation, safety and human behavior to find the best overall solutions to the safety and compliance challenges we face when doing research. With 15+ years of experience in the field of biosafety, including over 7 years of experience serving as the Biological Safety Officer and Assistant Director of Environmental Health and Safety at Case Western Reserve University, Heidi took her research background in virology and applied it to the safety profession as she established IBCs, developed biosafety programs, reviewed laboratory designs, supported containment laboratories, and provided specialized biosafety and chemical safety expertise to biotechs, academic institutions, and clinical trial stakeholders. Heidi is active in the biosafety community, currently serving as a  Counsilor-at-Large for the Midwest Area Biosafey Network (MaBION) and as a member of the American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) International's Credentialing Maintenace Board. Heidi is a Registered Biosafety Professional (ABSA) and earned her master’s degree in cell and molecular biology from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Outside of work Heidi is often found trying her hand at something new, be it gardening, cooking, raising chickens or keeping bees. She feels passionately that there is always something new to learn.

Betsy Parsons, MBA, Principal Consultant, ERM- Betsy has over 20 years of experience leading EHS teams in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. She holds a BS in Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Toxicology and MBA from Clarkson University. She is a former board member of the New England Biosafety Association.

Mike Peters, EIT, Senior Engineer at Consolidated Sterilizer Systems - Mike has 17 years of experience in mechanical and controls engineering, 14 years with Consolidated Sterilizer Systems, which he uses to create innovative design solutions. To that end, he played an integral role in designing the vertical power doors for Consolidated’s autoclaves, contributed to developing Consolidated’s state-of-the-art X1 Control System, and was the lead for the qualification of a sterilizer as a medical device. Mike graduated from Western New England University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and is a registered Engineer in Training with the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

Amy Razukiewicz, RBP (ABSA), Associate Director, EHS & Biosafety Officer, Broad Institute - Amy has more than 15 years of experience in Biosafety and all facets of EHS.  Most experience comes from New York Medical College where Amy moved into positions of expanding responsibility and most recently served as Director, EHS.  In this role Amy served as Biosafety officer, Select Agent Responsible Official, Radiation Safety Officer, and Dental Clinical Compliance/Infection Prevention Officer for Touro College of Dental Medicine. 

Tom Winters, MD, FACOE, FACPM, President, Chief Medical Officer and Principal Partner, OEHN - A physician with over 40 years of experience and an entrepreneurial spirit, Dr. Winters co-founded OEHN in 2004. As President and Chief Medical Officer of OEHN, he provides clinical oversight of physicians and is Medical Director for clients from a wide spectrum of industries. With a keen interest and nationally recognized expertise in research occupational health, Dr. Winters is Medical Director and consultant for multiple academic hospital and university research occupational health programs, including BSL 2 and 3 facilities.  He was instrumental in the development of a world class research occupational health program at a Boston academic institution where he continues as Occupational Health Officer, a role that includes provision of medical surveillance and exposure response services for their BSL 4 laboratory.